Exact Gravitational Quasinormal Frequencies of Topological Black Holes

We compute the exact gravitational quasinormal frequencies for massless topological black holes in d-dimensional anti-de Sitter space. Using the gauge invariant formalism for gravitational perturbations derived by Kodama and Ishibashi, we show that in all cases the scalar, vector, and tensor modes can be reduced to a simple scalar field equation. This equation is exactly solvable in terms of hypergeometric functions, thus allowing an exact analytic determination of the gravitational quasinormal frequencies.Comment: 14 pages, Latex; v2 additional reference

The effect of endurance and circuit resistance training on serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor and cortisol in inactive male students: A randomized clinical trial

زمینه و هدف: عامل رشد عصبی مشتق از مغز نقش مهمی در رشد و تکامل دستگاه عصبی دارد. تحقیقات حیوانی نشان داده اند که سطوح سرمی این فاکتور تحت تأثیر فعالیت ورزشی قرار می گیرد. هدف از انجام تحقیق حاضر تعیین تأثیر تمرین استقامتی و مقاومتی دایره ای بر عامل رشد عصبی مشتق شده از مغز و کورتیزول سرمی در مردان غیر فعال بود. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه کارآزمایی بالینی، 30 دانشجوی پسر غیر فعال به طور تصادفی به سه گروه تمرین استقامتی، تمرین مقاومتی و کنترل تقسیم شدند. آزمودنی های گروه استقامتی برنامه تمرینی استقامتی شامل 45-30 دقیقه دوی تناوبی با شدت 75-60 درصد ضربان قلب بیشینه را به مدت چهار هفته اجرا کردند. آزمودنی های گروه های تمرین مقاومتی نیز سه جلسه در هفته، به مدت چهار هفته تمرین مقاومتی دایره ای با شدت 75-60 درصد یک تکرار بیشینه را انجام دادند. قبل و 48 ساعت بعد از دوره‌ی تحقیق، نمونه گیری خونی برای سنجش مقادیر سرمی عامل رشد عصبی مشتق شده از مغز و کورتیزول از آزمودنی ها به عمل آمد. یافته ها: تمرین استقامتی و مقاومتی دایره ای غلظت سرمی عامل رشد عصبی مشتق شده از مغز را به طور معنی داری افزایش داد. در بررسی نتایج پس آزمون تفاوتی بین گروه های تمرینی مشاهده نشد؛ ولی بین دو گروه تمرین استقامتی و گروه کنترل تفاوت معنی دار بود. تمرین استقامتی و مقاومتی تأثیر معنی داری بر سطوح کورتیزول سرمی نداشت. نتیجه گیری: بر اساس یافته های این مطالعه، تمرین استقامتی و مقاومتی دایره ای باعث افزایش فاکتورهای نروتروفیک می شود که ممکن است بدین طریق باعث ایجاد سازگاری های ساختاری و عملکردی در دستگاه عصبی شود

Stability of Topological Black Holes

We explore the classical stability of topological black holes in d-dimensional anti-de Sitter spacetime, where the horizon is an Einstein manifold of negative curvature. According to the gauge invariant formalism of Ishibashi and Kodama, gravitational perturbations are classified as being of scalar, vector, or tensor type, depending on their transformation properties with respect to the horizon manifold. For the massless black hole, we show that the perturbation equations for all modes can be reduced to a simple scalar field equation. This equation is exactly solvable in terms of hypergeometric functions, thus allowing an exact analytic determination of potential gravitational instabilities. We establish a necessary and sufficient condition for stability, in terms of the eigenvalues $\lambda$ of the Lichnerowicz operator on the horizon manifold, namely $\lambda \geq -4(d-2)$. For the case of negative mass black holes, we show that a sufficient condition for stability is given by $\lambda \geq -2(d-3)$.Comment: 20 pages, Latex, v2 refined analysis of boundary conditions in dimensions 4,5,6, additional reference

Volume-preserving normal forms of Hopf-zero singularity

A practical method is described for computing the unique generator of the algebra of first integrals associated with a large class of Hopf-zero singularity. The set of all volume-preserving classical normal forms of this singularity is introduced via a Lie algebra description. This is a maximal vector space of classical normal forms with first integral; this is whence our approach works. Systems with a non-zero condition on their quadratic parts are considered. The algebra of all first integrals for any such system has a unique (modulo scalar multiplication) generator. The infinite level volume-preserving parametric normal forms of any non-degenerate perturbation within the Lie algebra of any such system is computed, where it can have rich dynamics. The associated unique generator of the algebra of first integrals are derived. The symmetry group of the infinite level normal forms are also discussed. Some necessary formulas are derived and applied to appropriately modified R\"{o}ssler and generalized Kuramoto--Sivashinsky equations to demonstrate the applicability of our theoretical results. An approach (introduced by Iooss and Lombardi) is applied to find an optimal truncation for the first level normal forms of these examples with exponentially small remainders. The numerically suggested radius of convergence (for the first integral) associated with a hypernormalization step is discussed for the truncated first level normal forms of the examples. This is achieved by an efficient implementation of the results using Maple

Platinum(IV)-chlorotoxin (CTX) conjugates for targeting cancer cells

Cisplatin is one of the most widely used anticancer drugs. Its side effects, however, have motivated researchers to search for equally effective analogs that are better tolerated. Selectively targeting cancer tissue is one promising strategy. For this purpose, a platinum(IV) complex was conjugated to the cancer-targeting peptide chlorotoxin (CTX, TM601) in order to deliver cisplatin selectively to cancer cells. The 1:1 Pt-CTX conjugate was characterized by mass spectrometry and gel electrophoresis. Like most platinum(IV) derivatives, the cytotoxicity of the conjugate was lower in cell culture than that of cisplatin, but greater than those of its Pt(IV) precursor and CTX in several cancer cell lines.National Cancer Institute (U.S.) (Grant CA034992)German Academic Exchange Service (Fellowship

Antifungal Preservation of Food by Lactic Acid Bacteria

Fungal growth and consequent mycotoxin release in food and feed threatens human health, which might even, in acute cases, lead to death. Control and prevention of foodborne poisoning is a major task of public health that will be faced in the 21st century. Nowadays, consumers increasingly demand healthier and more natural food with minimal use of chemical preservatives, whose negative effects on human health are well known. Biopreservation is among the safest and most reliable methods for inhibiting fungi in food. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are of great interest as biological additives in food owing to their Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) classification and probiotic properties. LAB produce bioactive compounds such as reuterin, cyclic peptides, fatty acids, etc., with antifungal properties. This review highlights the great potential of LAB as biopreservatives by summarizing various reported antifungal activities/metabolites of LAB against fungal growth into foods. In the end, it provides profound insight into the possibilities and different factors to be considered in the application of LAB in different foods as well as enhancing their efficiency in biodetoxification and biopreservative activities

Conceptual models for describing virtual worlds

A conceptual model of a virtual world is a high-level representation of how the objects behave and how they are related to each other. The conceptual models identify the most essential elements of the reality to be simulated. This is the first and a very important step in the process of designing a virtual world. Afterwards, specific and complex models can be implemented and inserted into these conceptual models. This paper provides an overview of existing conceptual models used to design virtual worlds. A number of existing frameworks and architecture for describing virtual worlds are classified into six kinds of conceptual models: unstructured, graphic-oriented, network-oriented, object-oriented, environment-oriented and relational graph-oriented representations. The advantages and issues regarding virtual world design, management, reusability and interoperability are discussed

Antifungal Preservation of Food by Lactic Acid Bacteria

Fungal growth and consequent mycotoxin release in food and feed threatens human health, which might even, in acute cases, lead to death. Control and prevention of foodborne poisoning is a major task of public health that will be faced in the 21st century. Nowadays, consumers increasingly demand healthier and more natural food with minimal use of chemical preservatives, whose negative effects on human health are well known. Biopreservation is among the safest and most reliable methods for inhibiting fungi in food. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are of great interest as biological additives in food owing to their Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) classification and probiotic properties. LAB produce bioactive compounds such as reuterin, cyclic peptides, fatty acids, etc., with antifungal properties. This review highlights the great potential of LAB as biopreservatives by summarizing various reported antifungal activities/metabolites of LAB against fungal growth into foods. In the end, it provides profound insight into the possibilities and different factors to be considered in the application of LAB in different foods as well as enhancing their efficiency in biodetoxification and biopreservative activities

Active motion of tangentially driven polymers in periodic array of obstacles

One key question about transport of active polymers within crowded environments is how spatial order of obstacles influences their conformation and dynamics when compared to disordered media. To this end, we computationally investigate the active transport of tangentially driven polymers with varying degrees of flexibility and activity in two-dimensional square lattices of obstacles. Tight periodic confinement induces notable conformational changes and distinct modes of transport for flexible and stiff active filaments. It leads to caging of low activity flexible polymers inside the inter-obstacle pores while promoting more elongated conformations and enhanced diffusion for stiff polymers at low to moderate activity levels. The migration of flexible active polymers occurs via hopping events, where they unfold to move from one cage to another, similar to their transport in disordered media. However, in ordered media, polymers are more compact and their long-time dynamics is significantly slower. In contrast, stiff chains travel mainly in straight paths within periodic inter-obstacle channels while occasionally changing their direction of motion. This mode of transport is unique to periodic environment and leads to more extended conformation and substantially enhanced long-time dynamics of stiff filaments with low to moderate activity levels compared to disordered media. At high active forces, polymers overcome confinement effects and move through inter-obstacle pores just as swiftly as in open spaces, regardless of the spatial arrangement of obstacles. We explain the center of mass dynamics of semiflexible polymers in terms of active force and obstacle packing fraction by developing an approximate analytical theory.</p